Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko Thursday nominated Yulia Tymoshenko as the new prime minister, the presidential office said in a statement.

 

"The president has submitted Tymoshenko's nomination to parliament for approval," the statement said.

 

New parliamentary speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk said the legislature would vote on Tymoshenko's candidacy in five days in accordance with parliamentary regulations.

 

Tymoshenko, 47, is one of the most popular figures in Ukraine. Her party garnered 156 parliament seats out of a total of 450 in September's election.

 

The elections were held on September 30 to resolve a long-term conflict between pro-west President Yushchenko and Russian-leaning Prime Minister Victor Yanukovych. Yanukovych announced his resignation on Nov. 23 after the new parliament was sworn in.

Yanukovych's Regions Party now is the parliament's biggest group, but is without enough seats to enable it to independently form a government.

 

Tymoshenko's bloc and the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense party led by Yushchenko formed a majority coalition in parliament on Nov. 29, and decided Tuesday to nominate Tymoshenko for prime minister.

 

Yushchenko's party and Tymoshenko's bloc came into power in the "Orange" revolution at the end of 2004, during which Yanukovych lost his job as prime minister. Yanukovych was once again appointed as prime minister by Yushchenko in August, 2006.

 

Tymoshenko acted as prime minister from February, 2005, but was dismissed from the position by Yushchenko seven months later due to fierce disputes between the two.

 

She is still widely regarded as a potential rival for Yushchenko in the presidential elections in 2009.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 7, 2007)